Welcome to our Blog!

Hello!!!
If you are reading this blog, you probably received our e-mail informing you of our blog address. Please don't laugh, we know our blog is rudimentary with few entries, however as we sail along the East Coast of Central America we plan on writing gripping and sensational stories of our travels!! (We will make it up if we have to!! HaHa)

Where are you going? you may ask. As of now we are hoping to leave Key West about mid-May. We do not have specific plans, we will see where the winds take us, however we do know our first stop is Isla Mujeres, Mexico. We love the ceviche in Mexico!! Then we will sail down the East coast along the Yucatan to Belize, and then to Guatamala. Depending on our money situation we may go further south, or may leave our boat in the Rio Dulce, Guatamala, while we go back to work. We are planning on a 6month cruise. Longer if the money holds out, we are both growing our hair long so we can sell it when times get hard! :)

Thanks for checking in!!! We will keep you posted!

Keith and Caroline

Sharkwater-It is about much more than sharks

We just watched Sharkwater, a documentary by Rob Stewart. If you have not seen this film, put it on your NetFlix list NOW! Yes, sharks are possibly the most misunderstood creatures on the planet; yes, we are killing them by the millions; but, this film is also about the future of the oceans – the future of humans. Humans depend on the ocean for food and the plants in the water that help produce most of the oxygen we breath. Overfishing is putting our very existence in peril.

On land we can observe our food and resources such as cows, soybeans and lumber. When we run low we can take action to preserve them. Any modern hunter is aware that you must manage a deer population – not because there will be too many (except in areas of excessive development), but because we can easily kill too many and the population will die.

Unfortunately, we cannot really “see” the fish populations the same way. Our history as humans has been one of fishing creatures out of the ocean until their population collapses and they are extinct or endangered: whales, turtles, stellar sea cow, Chilean sea bass, Caribbean monk seal, conch, swordfish. The modern fishing methods enables us to take everything, which means eventually we will be left with nothing.

Watch Sharkwater, Google for more information, hopefully we can change before it is too late.

Loosening the Ties that Bind: Leaving Danger Charters

Three years – three years! For Key West and the charter boat business that is a very long time to be at one job. When I started with Danger Charters I wanted to work there because it was the only trip that combined kayaking, sailing and snorkeling all wrapped in an ecologically informative tour. The condition and decline of our environment is so important to me and the trips provided a perfect venue to teach people about the fragility and importance of nature.

Something amazing happened in these past 3 years at Danger Charters; we all built something that was greater than any one of us. All of the crew took the ecology and service a step further, we tried harder to make a trip that no one could compete with. It worked, we found that we created an atmosphere of education & fun that no other company came to close to. I am so proud to have been a part of it.

In recognition of my part in this family, the crew at Danger gave me a “going away” party. It was an opportunity for us all to share what we will miss most in each other and come together one last time as a group. The crew presented me with an amazing gift: a scrimshawed knife and rope working fid. The knife handle is made from 10,000 year old fossilized walrus tusk and hand engraved. It is something that I will cherish and use – and it will always remind me the wonderful time I spent with all the crew during the past 3 years.

That was not all, Bethany presented Caroline and I with a packaged (wrapped in a remnant of an old schooner sail) that carried a myriad of things that only a fellow boat owner would know to get. Mike Mongo presented us with T-Shirts from Waterfront Market and Save The Pines, projects that he worked hard on. Megan and Wade hosted, made sure everyone went home on time and cleaned up. Wayne & Lara were away, but provided the food. Everyone made it there and I made them wait, I didn't mean to be so late, but I hadn't finished the cards I wanted to give to everyone (sorry for making you wait everyone).

My time as captain at Danger was the best job I have ever had. I will miss everyone and all of the adventures. My hope is that we will all stay connected in some way or reconnect again in the future. Until then, thanks for the memories: Haig, Don, Megan, Ben, Christy, Brian, Bethany, Wade, Wendy, Tony, Ben, Lynn, Dennis.